Rudd denies bad hair blow-up

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has denied claims that he "chucked a wobbly" during a trip to Afghanistan last year because he could not blow dry his hair.

Reports today say Coalition frontbencher John Cobb claims Mr Rudd lost his temper because he could not find a hairdryer during a visit to Australian troops in Afghanistan just before Christmas.

Mr Rudd has dismissed the report as ridiculous and pointed the finger at Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

"This particular allegation by Mr Turnbull is absolutely ridiculous and absolutely false and designed, I presume, to distract attention from Mr Turnbull's own problem in his own political party which are considerable," he told Fairfax Radio.

"I noticed his spokesman today walking away from it at a pace of knots.

"If you are a Liberal Party without a positive proposal to deal with the economic recession then obviously such a Liberal Party is likely to engage in personality politics."

Mr Turnbull has sought to distance himself from the hairy tale.

"I have no interest in Mr Rudd's grooming habits," he said.

Mr Cobb, however, has told the Herald Sun he stands by his story.

"He chucked a wobbly. I heard from a few people in the Defence forces - they were going on and on about it," the Herald Sun reports Mr Cobb as saying.

The alleged incident follows revelations last month that Mr Rudd made an RAAF flight attendant cry because he could not get a meat-free meal.

Mr Rudd publicy apologised for the incident.